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Journalism of Courage
On Friday, senior officials of Vantara, a state of the art Animal Rescue Center run by Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation met the guardian minister of Kolhapur and Maharashtra’s health minister Prakash Abitkar to discuss the possible return of the elephant Mahadevi/Madhuri. This comes even as the controversy over the elephant took the district by storm with people from the Shirol taluka even porting their JIO mobile connections. A look at the controversy and the possible way forward.
The controversy arose when the animal rights NGO People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) moved in Bombay High Court seeking for rehabilitation of the elephant which was housed in the Jain Mutt in the village of Nandini in Shirol taluka of Kolhapur district. Nandini is seat of the centuries old Jain Mutt and also is the seat of the Bhattaraka Sri Jinasena Swamiji. Bhattarakhas are religious heads of Digambar Jain institutions and as per the mutt, they have had an elephant for the last 600 years. The elephant, the locals claimed, was a favourite and was essential for religious processions and rites of the Mutt.
PETA in its petition has alleged that the elephant who has grown up in the Mutt required urgent treatment and medical care. In July this year the High Court had ordered the rehabilitation of the elephant in the Vantara Center in Gujarat. The Supreme Court had also upheld the decision of the Bombay High Court subsequently.
However, the issue became emotive as former MP and farm leader Raju Shetti and others opposed the move. Shetti, who is from the Jain community had claimed the move was done without considering the emotions of the local community. On Wednesday, when the team from Vantara had come to transport Mahadevi/Madhuri from Shirol there was an outpour of grief within the locals, who refused to allow the vehicle to move. Videos surfaced of Bhattarakha Swamiji and others bidding a tearful adieu to the elephant, who was decked up in fineries. Soon, the anger of the locals was directed against the move and spilled over. A concentrated social media campaign was carried out against JIO- the mobile network provided by the Reliance Industries, with many porting out of their JIO connections. An enterprising service provider in Shirol had even had the bright idea to give people porting out of JIO a coffee mug with the picture of an elephant as a welcome gift.
Given the public outrage, Abitkar had called a meeting of Vantara officials as well with the head of the Jain Mutt and other leaders in the area on Friday. While speaking to The Indian Express officials from Vantara said they have expressed their willingness to return the elephant provided the proper legal procedure is followed. Shetti, meanwhile, has called for a silent morcha to call for the return of the elephant. Abitkar, post the meeting had said “We will take all necessary legal steps to facilitate the return of Madhuri.”
